Jared Newman, 26
Class A Moldmaker
MME Group (Pine City, Minnesota)

Jared came to MME Group (MME) six years ago as a part-time employee while attending trade school. He immediately fit in with the company culture of “see-it, own-it, solve-it, do-it” and quickly made an impact in the toolmaking division. Jared moved to building complete, highly complex injection molds in fewer than five years. His quick rise to a Class A moldmaker is due to his mechanical ability and emotional intelligence. He also participated in extending training and multi-faceted teams throughout the organization. Recently, the toolroom manager took very ill, and Jared became the unofficial leader of the new tooling side of the shop without being asked. He took charge while the manager was on extended leave. Jared’s amazing attitude and smile is a blessing to be around every day. His technical ability coupled with innate people skills has made him a go-to guy for problem solving and “how-do-we-get-this-done” questions. In his continuous desire to learn, Jared attends industry events, offsite classes and company motivational team meetings. MME partners with local schools to grow future toolmakers, and Jared leads company tours and trains incoming apprentices.

Marshall Collis, 27
Moldmaker
Maximum Mold/Max 3 LLC (Benton Harbor, Michigan)

Marshall comes from a family of toolmakers. He has always had an interest in computers and technology while enjoying a challenge, so moldmaking was a perfect fit. Marshall began his apprenticeship in June of 2013 at Max 3. He mastered all the required technical classes with above-average grades and ultimately completed his apprenticeship in May 2017. During his five years at Max 3, he has worked closely with other trained journeyman toolmakers, affording him the experience to complete new mold builds on his own. Marshall has been with Maximum Mold for the past five years as a trained journeyman moldmaker. He shows leadership and compassion while sharing his determination, hard work, productivity and positive attitude. He never hesitates to take on a challenge or a difficult task.

Marshall even took a leadership position on a time-sensitive project with high-level quality and quantity requirements. He completely machined 1,100 parts (in which two pieces were assembled into one unit with a total of 550 assemblies) from start to finish and managed the customer delivery in under two weeks. This project demonstrated Marshall’s determination and competency to complete a difficult job, which required the skills for CNC setup and programing using both 2D and 3D data, running two or more machines simultaneously and managing continuous quality control and part inspection.

Marshall also has the gift of creating a team-oriented mindset across the shop. He can “rally the troops” to complete a common goal. Marshall’s hard work and “I’ll-give-it-a-shot” attitude has paid off for the company and for his career.

Mike Merzke, 19
Moldmaker Apprentice
Ameritech Die & Mold (Mooresville, North Carolina)

Mike started as an apprentice at Ameritech Die & Mold (Ameritech) in 2016, and although his experience in this industry is limited, his injection mold knowledge is typical of employees after four or five years. He has always been very inquisitive and never misses an opportunity to learn from his mentors. What stands out most about Mike is the level of responsibility that he has demonstrated. Between helping with younger siblings, completing his Eagle Scout award and working long hours in the assembly area, he always shows dedication to the task at hand. Over the past few months, Mike has continued to grow his capabilities by taking on a role in the EDM department. During this time, he has become proficient at using the wire EDM machine to burn pockets in workpieces that are typically 70 to 80 percent complete in the overall manufacturing process.

Mike’s attention to detail ensures that the job is completed promptly and without mistakes. He is passionate about learning every aspect of injection moldmaking, from the time he spends in assembly to speaking with processers during mold sampling. Mike desires to understand the whole picture and not just one area. His maturity and ambition are refreshing.

Cody Proctor, 24
Journeyman Moldmaker
CS Tool Engineering (Cedar Springs, Michigan)

Cody started working part-time at CS Tool Engineering during high school. Immediately upon graduation, he became a full-time employee and earned his journeyman’s certificate. He is starting his fifth year as a moldmaker. Cody is a shining example of next-generation employees who are excited about working with their hands. They like taking raw blocks of steel and turning them into molds that produce products people see and use every day. Cody understands the meaning of a full day’s work and eagerly listens to the more experienced moldmakers as they work. He is also always willing to participate and represent the company at its local Career Tech Center, help with student evaluations and man the booth during annual career fairs. If given the opportunity, Cody shares his knowledge with other young people about the possibilities in moldmaking.

Jake Zielinski, 23
Lead Moldmaker
Extreme Tool and Engineering (Wakefield, Michigan)

Jake’s moral compass is pointed solidly in the right direction, and he truly cares about his fellow men and women more than he does himself. He is a selfless, caring, honest and responsible young man. Jake originally aspired to become an engineer but found the shop’s hands-on work environment more interesting. He is a young man on a mission, despite the newness of his moldmaking career. After completing the moldmaker apprenticeship program, he decided to earn his bachelor’s degree in business while working full-time. At work, Jake leads by example yet understands that lifelong learning is part of the process. He is a joy to be around and excited about the overall manufacturing experience.

Jake is equally committed to the local area and loves where he lives. He is an avid outdoorsman and finds great pleasure in the woods (hunting and trapping) as well as on the water (fishing and boating). As a former multi-season athlete, Jake keeps himself busy and healthy. He is an active young volunteer, supporting many local causes. He also coaches the local high-school football team and mentors young men to help them realize their ultimate potential, which is important as the company moves toward mentoring versus managing the next generation of manufacturing talent. He is an active member of the Knights of Columbus and participates in and supports a local musical club called Marty’s Goldenaires Drum and Bugle Corp. Jake is proud of his faith and not afraid to show it. He says he is grateful for all his God-given gifts and talents.

Jim Nowak, 26
Apprentice
Tri-Par Die and Mold Corp. (South Elgin, Illinois)

Jim is a second-year apprentice with all the qualities necessary for a future moldmaker. He completed many metalworking programs offered at a nearby community college at his own expense before beginning his journey in the metalworking profession. Jim is intrigued by how things work, pays attention to details and is not afraid to ask questions when disassembling a tool or programming a CNC machine. He has recognized that moldmaking is a highly rewarding profession, as it requires skill and education to operate today’s manufacturing technologies.

Michael Shinn, 28
Lead Assembly Technician
Ameritech Die & Mold (Mooresville, North Carolina)

Michael enrolled in the Apprenticeship 2000 program during his senior year in high school and has been with Ameritech Die & Mold (Ameritech) since 2007. He has worked extensively in each department. Mold assembly became his preferred work, which led him to the role of lead assembly technician in 2013. Michael quickly began making changes to improve work-flow efficiency in assembly. For example, he reorganized the assembly area with a cart system using multiple shelves for the BOM components for a new job, increasing work space. He set up cabinets and work benches for better tool storage and management. He also added a computer workstation with CAD to share the entire mold assembly with the team. Michael focused on continual improvement, which cut assembly time in half. He also is involved with the shop’s apprenticeship program. He enjoys teaching and acts as a mentor to potential apprentices during a four-day evaluation workshop. Michael’s training results in better-qualified apprentices entering the CNC department.